Shaped like a pitted melon, this neon orange cow milk cheese from Flanders, Normandy has many stories told about its creation. My favorite tells a tale of France’s King Louis XIV, who banned the importation of Edamin (Edam) from his country. Apparently, the king decided that the Dutch cheese was getting too popular among his subjects, whom he felt, should be eating local: French cheese for French people! He commissioned a French copy of the cheese and ordered it dyed orange. Now, either that was to ensure that no one mistook the Mimolette for Edam again, or, given that Louis XIV had issues with the Dutch Royal House of Orange-Nassau, maybe it was a bit more personal.

Dyed with the annatto seed, Mimolette is aged for at least two years during which time it develops a chewy texture and a smoky, almost bacon-like flavor.Mimolette Extra Vieille – Cowgirl Creamery’s Library of Cheese

Gridskipper, a blog for travelers and locals, has a great post about the finest fromageries in Paris. I was surprised to find one of them, Eric Lefèbvre, is literally around the corner from my apartment. I’ve shopped there many times but did not know of the pedigree.

This fourth generation master cheesemaker operates from an out of the way Parisian neighborhood and offers some superb regional cheeses which he selects personally during his visits to creameries and farms around France. His camemberts and stiltons are legendary.The Finest Fromage in Paris

This article spotlights other fromageries that are located outside of the city’s center. I smell a road-trip in the future. I need to grab my bike and go shopping.

I stopped by Taste cheese shop in San Diego yesterday to try some Southern California cheese. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of options for this region. However, they did have some Goudas by Winchester Cheese Company, located near Temecula.Gouda‘s come from all over the world. However, Winchester has developed a truly Southern California experience. Their Jalapeno Gouda is a smooth cheese with a kick.

Our Boere Kaas (farm made) Jalapeno Gouda is a premium cheese aged a minimum of 60 days. The jalapeno and red peppers give it a moderately spicy taste. It is an excellent and flavorful accent for all occasions. This cheese won First Place at The American Cheese Society contest. Gold Medal Winner at L.A. County Fair.Winchester Cheese Company

Celebrate Oktoberfest with special cheese and beer pairings in San Diego. Taste (Fromagerie) and O’Briens (Pub) are working together for these classes. Here’s what they have to say:

Yesterday was the day we gathered to plan our pairings for our sixth round of beer and cheese pairings with O’Brien’s. Tom Nickel (owner of O’Brien’s), George and Mary were joined by tasting panel guests Sandy and Todd Webster, winners of the early-registration drawing. As always, it was a lot of fun – and a lot of work at the same time. In the end, we came away with an amazing menu of all-new pairings including an all-German flight, a truffle pairing and a sweet finale that will go down as one of our best ever. It’s one you definitely won’t want to miss! Space is filling fast so don’t delay, sign up today by sending an email or calling us at (619) 683-2306.

I was at the Bastille Farmers Market this morning. I purchased some yogurt, comte, and fromage frais de chevre from a popular stand. Afterward, I noticed the light coming into their stand and took this photograph. You can practically taste the mimolette.

Mimolette is a magnificent cheese with apples. There’s nothing like a chunk of very old mimolette with a crisp, sweet apple. Most of the apples I’ve found in Paris are softer, baking apples. If you’d like a crisp apple ask for pomme à croquer.

More than 2 dozen local Bay Area food artisans will be on site throughout the day sampling their unique and wonderful products.

Janet Fletcher (James Beard award winning food writer for SF Chronicle) will be in store from 12 – 2PM signing her latest book, Cheese & Wine, a guide to selecting, pairing, and enjoying; and our knife sharpening service will be on-site to sharpen your knives and instruct you in the sharper side of life.

This weekend, the entrance to Notre Dame in Paris smells a lot better. The annual Fête du Pain features fresh bread baking, classes for children, demonstrations, and a large display of French cheeses.
The festival will continue on Sunday. It’s geared for the younger bread lovers, so take the children with you.

This village has a cheese named after it, i.e. Cabécou de Rocamadour or more commonly known as “Rocamadour“. Since being awarded the AOC label in 1996, the producers have abandoned the name Cabécou as it’s too generic and hence today the cheese is just called “Rocamadour“. This also enables them to differentiate Rocamadour from the many Cabécou that exist. Rocamadour can be eaten at the various stages of maturation. When it’s between 1 and 2 weeks maturity it has a subtle acidic aroma and a slight nutty taste. As the “affinage” progresses, these characteristics mature and become more pronounced.Fête des Fromages – Rocamadour, France</cite>

Blue D’Auvergne is a milder blue cheese than its nearby cousins in Roquefort. It is creamy, smooth, and cooks/melts easily. It may not have the punch needed for a hearty blue cheese souffle or sauce, but it is great to eat in salads and by itself.

Bleu d’Auvergne is a name-protected (Appelation d’Origine Controlée, AOC) cheese from the Auvergne region in south-central France, where it has been made since the middle of the 19th century. Bleu d’Auvergne is made in the traditional manner from cow’s milk and features blue veining throughout. Its moist, sticky rind conceals a soft paste possessing a grassy, herbaceous, and (with age) spicy, pungent taste.Blue D’Auvergne Cheese – Artisanal Premium Cheese

Salad with Blue D’Auvergne tartine

Recently, i had this salad with tartine at a small brasserie in Paris. The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity.

The salad consisted of greens, tomatoes, walnuts, and olives. A tartine was made with a slice of Poilâne bread, smothered with Blue D’Auvergne and placed under the broiler for a minute or so to melt the cheese. This was then cut into smaller pieces and placed on the salad.

The bite sized chunks of cheese and bread made the salad a great meal. Try this for dinner tonight.